The work on the Rs.4,000-crore Vizhinjam International Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport in Thiruvananthapuram is likely to start by the end of the year or early 2014, the State government has said.

“We are almost through with the environment clearance after which we will hold the public hearing. This will take four-five months and we shall be able to start construction by the end of the year or early 2014,” Principal Secretary, Ports, James Varghese told reporters here on Wednesday.

He did not state any specific date as to when the environment impact assessment (EIA) report would be ready. The deadline for the report was initially June last which was later revised to November last.

It had been decided to increase the depth of the sea by the port to 20 metres from the earlier 16 metre to allow vessels carrying up to 18,000 TEU (TEU is 20-foot equivalent unit), he said.

The government would build the port, a public-private partnership project, in three years and then choose an operator to take it forward. Welspun was earlier named as the operating agency but it did not work out due to the higher upfront money it demanded, he said.

There would be no cost escalation on account of this, he said, adding that costs under some other heads had been trimmed. The port, situated 10 nautical miles off the international shipping route, would look to attract trans-shipment traffic, he said.

When asked about the Kochi Port’s similar plans Mr. Varghese said Kochi would serve the domestic market. The port would have two terminals to start with and it had plans to add two more in the future, he said.